5 major observations from Jayden Daniels' performance against the Falcons

How did Jayden Daniels fare in Week 17?

Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels | Amber Searls-Imagn Images
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Jayden Daniels dragged the Washington Commanders to a sensational victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16. The rookie quarterback needed to finish the job with the national spotlight glaring.

Daniels is focused on the next task and nothing more. That was the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, who came into the game with their first-round signal-caller looking to make a statement and within touching distance of a postseason berth.

The Commanders got some added incentive before the contest. With the Minnesota Vikings holding on to beat the Green Bay Packers, the sixth seed and playoff confirmation was the prize if Daniels and his teammates produced one more rousing effort in Washington's regular-season home finale at Northwest Stadium.

This was a high-stakes situation for Daniels. Getting this far was one thing. Getting over the hump to secure Washington's place in the knockout rounds for the first time since 2020 was another matter.

As it turned out, Daniels was at his brilliant best to guide Washington over the hump and into the postseason. It needed overtime, but the signal-caller left no doubt whatsoever.

With this in mind, here are five major observations from Daniels' performance against the Falcons in Week 17.

Major observations from Jayden Daniels' performance against the Falcons

Jayden Daniels' confusion

This was always going to be a tough challenge for Jayden Daniels. He was going up against Raheem Morris, one of the NFL's best defensive minds. The Atlanta Falcons head coach had something special up his sleeve for the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The mission was simple. Atlanta looked to confuse Daniels early and often. They accomplished this in a multitude of ways, giving the dynamic signal-caller different things to think about on almost every play.

Whether it was exotic pressures, disguised coverages, or even edge rushers dropping back into the throwing lanes, the Falcons gave Daniels something he wasn't necessarily expecting. The results were evident immediately, with the Commanders failing to generate any prolonged momentum on offense thanks to the confusion.

Daniels was taking a little extra time to see which Atlanta defenders were situated on the field once the ball was snapped. This made a huge difference with such fine margins attached behind an offensive line that found life difficult for the most part.

This is all part of the learning curve for Daniels. Something that should become easier to decipher as he goes through his NFL career.

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